The development of restorative justice services in sensitive and complex cases: global developments, policy decisions and practice challenges

• In Event: Restorative Justice in Cases of Serious Crimes

Abstract

Scottish Government, with its ambitious plan to rollout restorative justice (RJ) across the country, has taken a courageous and pioneering if contentious decision to fund a National Service delivering RJ in cases of sexual harm. Having been personally involved in its development but also in the internal evaluation of the project’s first year for the Government, I am acutely aware that while burdened with common challenges (i.e. problems with funding or opposition by some interest groups) as witnessed in other such initiatives, additional issues are straining its development. In this paper, I will discuss some of the data emerging from a research project I undertook in the past year which aims were to understand how to avoid these pitfalls and to be able to identify some best practices. For that I will present some of the data collected through a (non-exhaustive) mapping of similar projects internationally, discuss the development of similar practices by examining some of the information gathered during study visits in Estonia and Finland and make some preliminary remarks regarding the role of (ambitious, just and forward-looking) policy decisions making in this area.

Author

• Estelle Zinsstag, Edinburgh Napier University and KU Leuven